


Can I Take Care of You?

by alafaye



Category: Marvel
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-30
Updated: 2015-11-30
Packaged: 2018-05-04 02:58:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5317877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alafaye/pseuds/alafaye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint was good at his job because he could <i>see</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can I Take Care of You?

**Author's Note:**

> Written for round 26 at rounds_of_kink at LJ. This was prompt 47 from silentflux. First posted [here](http://rounds-of-kink.livejournal.com/775990.html).

Clint sometimes wondered if anyone else was able to just... stop. The people he lived with in the Tower? No, he knew they couldn't stop being what they were. Steve didn't stop being in charge, looking out for them. Bruce didn't stop being angry or cautious. Natasha always played everyone. Tony was always looking for new ways to either blow something up or to make things better.

Clint? Didn't stop observing. It was what he did when he left the circus -- keeping an eye on those he was employed by, watching his marks, making sure he wasn't being tailed. When SHIELD got a hold of him, they set him up high, told him to observe. He was made into a spy. He was good at it, had pretty good recall. Couldn't hear for shit, but he was good at reading lips.

And now that he lived part time in Bed Stuy and part time in the Tower, there was a little less to observe. Keep an eye on his tenants, make sure no one came around to harass them, and keep an eye on his teammates because Coulson couldn't keep watch all the time; he had other teams.

Everyone was doing well or so it seemed. As he said, they couldn't seem to stop doing what they did best, but it suited them. They seemed happy when they did. (Except Natasha, but Clint never could see her too well and they both agreed that it was better that way. Clint didn't want to know what she was hiding unless she told him and she didn't want anyone to know all her secrets.) 

Except Tony. Tony was a problem. Had been for everyone else, apparently. In a different way, though. Clint had agreed with everyone else until he started to see the little things, the things that showed through when Tony didn't think anyone was watching him. The way he had been falling apart since New York? The way he retreated after he and Pepper broke up when he couldn't stop building his suits? Why he couldn't stop building suits?

Yeah, Clint observed and didn't like it one bit.

Because the reason he always observed everything? Everyone? Was because Clint liked to take care of things. Much as he grumbled about it, he liked watching out for his tenants. Liked making sure his team was good because a happy team meant good fights against the bad guys.

Tony was good for a fight. Good to keep their tech in working order.

But wasn't good for anything else. He was falling apart. Clint ached to do something, but he couldn't. No one had seen what he had and Tony had done that on purpose. It was something that he and Clint shared, hiding their pain because if you didn't hide your pain, your fear, your worry, someone would use it against you. Use it and then use their fists or words to beat it out of you.

He let it go on because he had no choice. Until Tony was kidnapped – again -- and wouldn't let anyone into the lab. Not even Bruce.

Natasha and Steve were debating bringing in Rhodey or even Pepper. Clint agreed with Natasha -- neither of them would be a good choice because neither of them had brought Tony out in the past. They might manage it with some guilt-tripping (hence the debate), but it wasn't a perfect choice. Bruce kept sending Tony messages via Jarvis, but the messages went unanswered.

Clint left them to it and climbed through the vents. Jarvis could alert Tony, but Clint was going in to help and he hoped Jarvis would understand that. And lucky him, the way was free and clear. He dropped down in front of Tony who looked up scornfully and resigned. " _You_ I was not expecting."

Clint grinned and shrugged. "I'm chaotic like that. Left them wondering if they should call in Pepper or Rhodey."

"Rhodey is somewhere classified which means pulling him in would break his cover," Tony said. "And Pepper would wait another... how long have I been down here?"

"Three days," Jarvis answered.

"Two more days," Tony finished. He pushed away from his work table -- it didn't seem like he had been working on anything -- and crossed his arms over his chest. "So now what?"

Clint studied him. He had deep purple rings under his eyes and his beard was overgrown. It didn't look like he had showered since before the kidnapping and he had lost weight that he hadn't had extra of. Tony could eat a lot of crap, but only when he thought about eating which wasn't very often. And now that he was trying to not drink, he wasn't getting any calories that way. 

"Shower. Food. Sleep. In that order."

Tony blinked. "And who's going to make me? You?"

Clint smirked and raised an eyebrow. 

~~~

Tony watched silently as Clint got undressed, too. The bathroom was filling with steam as Clint grabbed a razor and shaving cream for the shower. He pointed. "You want to go in first?"

"I really don't think --" Tony started.

Clint shook his head. "You clearly cannot take care of yourself. Let me. Please?"

Tony blinked, tilting his head. "You want to take care of me? Is this a kink?"

"No," Clint said. "Just a wonderful part of my personality that you are going to enjoy."

"I refuse to be forced to be an unwilling participant in whatever sex games you enjoy," Tony said, amused.

Clint sighed. "It isn't about sex. It's... I know you've been hurting for a while. I observe and take notes. Make connections. You? You need help. I won't say anything to anyone, but I want to help. Let me? At least for tonight."

Tony took several deep breaths. "Why?"

"Because I like taking care of people. You need care."

Tony worried his lip for a moment. "Fine. But no sex. Got it? Hot as you are, I --"

"Don't want that now, I know," Clint said. "I wouldn't say no to a fuck either, but this? This is about comfort, pure and simple."

Tony nodded as if that sealed things and waved Clint into the shower first. Clint shuffled to the back, thankful that Tony was a hedonist and that they both would stay warm under the four shower heads. Tony held his arms out, waiting with skepticism. Clint put down the razor and shaving cream and picked up the shampoo first. Tony turned around and tilted his head back. Smiling, Clint worked the shampoo into a lather and ran it through Tony's hair, massaging his scalp at the same time. Tony shifted, but said nothing. Another round of shampoo and Clint moved on to the body soap. He kept it simple and innocent as he promised. He gave Tony the face cloth to wash his cock and ass to prove his promise.

"Can I?" Clint asked, holding the shaving cream.

Tony nodded and Clint beamed. He had had only one partner over the years who liked to be shaved and that was a disappointment. There was just something amazing about someone trusting you as you held a sharp implement close to an artery. He took his time, being gentle but thorough. He bit his lip when Tony's hand settled on his hips halfway through, but couldn't stop something warm settling into his chest as Tony's shoulders relaxed just a bit as the shave went on.

"All set," Clint whispered when he was done.

When Tony tilted his head forward, he looked more relaxed and just a little less wary. He smiled and squeezed Clint's hip.

Clint couldn't help it; he booped Tony's nose with his finger. "I'm sure the food is here. Let's eat and then you need a nap."

~~~

They decided to eat in front of the TV, putting on some movie that included cars, explosions, and a woman running around in heels. Also guns. They critiqued it as the plot developed, complaining about the guns and counting bullets to see how often the heroes actually ran out. Tony gleefully explained why some of the explosions weren't possible and Clint moaned when the government agents ignored protocols that even he knew.

Another movie and they both settled into the sofa as the shower and food caught up. Clint smiled when Tony leaned against him, asleep. He turned down the volume on the movie and gently shifted them so that Tony was laying on top of him. 

Yeah, that was better, Clint thought. Much, much better.


End file.
